On July 18th, transgender woman Erin Vaught made a trip to the emergency room at Ball Memorial Hospital. She was coughing up blood and expected treatment for a lung condition.

Instead, she was ridiculed by hostpital staff, called names including "he-she" and "transvestite," and denied treatment.

Ball Memorial Hospital president Michael Haley responded to the incident, stating that the hospital is "committed to providing care with respect, dignity and courtesy."

But where was this respect, dignity, and courtesy when Vaught visited the hospital?

The hospital treated Vaught disrespectfully and inappropriately.

Please email Ball Memorial Hospital to demand that they stop discriminating against LGBT patients. The hospital should properly train its staff to prevent future discriminatory treatment of transgender patients.

Letter to

Media RelationsNeil Gifford

Director of Public Relations and MarketingWill Henderson

When Erin Vaught made a trip to the Ball Memorial Hospital emergency room on July 18th, she was expecting treatment for a lung condition, not ridicule for being transgender. She was entered in the hospital system as a male despite her female ID and referred to as a "he-she," "it," and a "transvestite." Then, Vaught was refused treatment because of her gender.

A Ball Memorial Hospital policy states that all patients be provided care with "respect, dignity and courtesy," yet Vaught was completely disrespected by hospital staff.

I demand that Ball Memorial Hospital improve their treatment of LGBT patients. Hospital staff should be required to complete a diversity training with emphasis on LGBT sensitivity. This training would help hospital staff gain an understanding of transgender patients so that future patients aren't wrongly denied treatment.